Guys & Dolls

The Bridge Theatre, London ★★★★★

This 1950 musical (music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows) has everything. Dialogue and lyrics take off from Damon Runyon’s short stories. The plot – hinging on collision and elision between card sharps and salvationists – is energetic, tender and shrewd.

Fuelled by Bunny Christie’s design, Tom Brady’s musical supervision and choreography by Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, it swings up, down and sideways, enveloping the audience. It is not only that you gain new thrills, see new jokes from being close to the action; the choreography is exact, and has more flair than flounce, more expression than attitude.

It is an evening of beautiful sweep. Daniel Mays brings shiftiness and amiability to Nathan Detroit. Andrew Richardson has a lolloping ease as cool Sky. As Miss Adelaide, Marisha M Wallace makes the stage tremble tr with delight. Playing the upright Sarah Brown, Celinde Schoenmaker soars, melts and unravels, button by button. Observer Susannah Clapp

A Au

At the Bridge Theatre, London, until 2 September